If this appearance is supposed to be a sign, then the signal is clear: Donald Trump has a mobilization problem. At the 10:30 a.m. protest rally of the New York Young Republicans on Collect Pond Park in front of the New York City Criminal Court, maybe 100 demonstrators came.
They are outnumbered, the media are by far the largest number of those present this Tuesday. There are also counter-demonstrators and a large number of police officers.
When the demo’s star guest, right-wing Georgia Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene, begins to speak, nothing can be heard — and she can hardly be seen. She has a black megaphone in her hand, but obviously it’s not really suitable as an amplifier. After a few minutes, her blond hair disappears back into the crowd.
Other Trump supporters give one interview after another. There are the “Blacks for Trump”, who came all the way from Miami and defended the ex-president in glowing words.
Or high school teacher Gina Witcher and her 14-year-old son Chase, both wearing red Make America Great Again caps. They drove about four hours to New York from near Baltimore in the state of Maryland to demonstrate their solidarity.
For them it is clear: Donald Trump is innocent, is being prosecuted by the Democrat-serving judiciary – “and he will win the next presidential election”.
But as many cameras, recorders and pads are stretched out to loyal Trump fans, they are far fewer than Donald Trump might have hoped when two weeks ago he called for protests against his allegedly imminent arrest.
Much is as Trump loves it
On the other hand, a lot is the way he loves it. Already on Monday, when the 76-year-old arrives from Florida, the media presence in Manhattan is gigantic.
Hundreds of journalists compete for the best seat in front of Trump Tower, where he still owns a three-story penthouse on the 66th floor.
A similar number of onlookers continue to be shooed by the police, but still don’t give up hope of catching a glimpse of the announced celebrity. Barriers draw attention to the main entrance of the glittering skyscraper on New York’s Fifth Avenue. Several helicopters are circling overhead in the bright blue sky.
It was clear early on that Donald Trump’s return to New York was going to be a big show. This is where he grew up, grew up and became famous – first as a real estate agent, then as a reality TV star, and finally as a loud-mouthed political career changer who, from the golden escalator of his Trump Tower, prepared not only to conquer the power center of America, but too shaken to its foundations.
The shrill real estate guru from Manhattan moved with his family to the venerable White House – and soon preferred to stay in conservative Florida than in liberal New York, where several prosecutors were interested in his private and business dealings.
From his point of view, changing his place of residence just one year after the election was logical – and had a tax advantage. Now his past has brought him back to his native city.
On Tuesday afternoon, he actually appeared before the criminal court as agreed, where he is charged with paying hush money to former porn actress Stormy Daniels before the 2016 presidential election – a historic event.
On the way to court, Trump posts something else on his social network
No criminal case has ever been opened against an incumbent or former US President. As he left Trump Tower at around 1 p.m. to drive to the courthouse, he raised his right fist in the air.
Wow, they’re going to arrest me. I can’t believe this is happening in America.
Donald Trump on his platform Truth Social
The picture goes viral. It is intended to show that no public prosecutor, no judge and no grand jury can do anything to the ex-president, who wants to return to the White House in the next election.
While still in the car on the way from Trump Tower to the courthouse, he writes on his online platform Truth Social that the situation is “surreal”. “Wow, they’re going to arrest me. I can’t believe this is happening in America.”
His indictment is cause for celebration for his opponents. For Trump’s supporters and most of the Republican Party, on the other hand, it is an unforgivable breach of taboo. Solidarity addresses have been pouring in for days.
Except for the extreme Republican Greene and the new MP George Santos, who was exposed as an impostor, no high-ranking Republican made his way to New York.
New Yorkers don’t seem to care about Trump anymore
And how is the city of New York reacting? In the worst way for Donald Trump: she largely ignores him. There are hardly any normal New Yorkers in front of Trump Tower and at the courthouse.
When Trump arrived at Trump Tower on Monday, journalists and tourists like Jared gemstones were the main crowds. The up-and-coming actor has traveled from Philadelphia with a group of friends – for a baseball game.
“We found out by accident that Trump is arriving today,” he said. They would think it would be cool to catch a glimpse of the former president — just as they would think it would be cool if a famous tennis player showed up here. Demonstrators were only occasionally seen on Monday.
There are a few more on Tuesday in front of the Criminal Court. When Trump drives up at 1:30 p.m. sharp and accompanied by the Secret Service in front of the courthouse to have Judge Juan Merchan read out the indictment, the tension mounts.
There has been speculation for days: will the public see his “mugshot”, the photo taken of him as the accused? Will he be shown in handcuffs? Are there outbreaks of violence? Mayor Eric Adams had warned potential rioters in advance and urged the demonstrators to control themselves.
Trump disappears without a word
Trump spends an hour in the courtroom, then he leaves New York again – without having spoken publicly once. As he drives to La Guardia Airport, it finally becomes clear what the charges are and what they include. What Trump faces if found guilty depends on this.
The 34-count indictment includes falsifying business records to prevent harmful information and illegal activities from becoming public ahead of the 2016 presidential election. As expected, Trump pleads “not guilty”.
The next court hearing on the matter is scheduled for December 4th. The process is scheduled to start in January 2024.
There was immediate speculation about Trump’s silence – did the indictment shock him after all? The most likely explanation is that his lawyers made it clear to him the importance of imprudent statements.
According to US media reports, Judge Merchan also warned him that his social media posts were irresponsible and perceived as a threat.
Trump repeatedly speaks of a legal “witch hunt” and agitates against judges and prosecutors who are investigating him.
What is happening in Mar-o-Lago?
It was unlikely on Tuesday that Trump’s silence would last long. He had announced a press conference in Mar-a-Lago for the evening – the first by a criminally indicted ex-president in American history.
He himself wants to spread his narrative. This is important for the campaigner. Because even if New York has enough of him: For Trump, the indictment has already developed into a financial booster.
According to his campaign, he made $7 million in the first three days of the charges. And the great media attention pushes his potential inner-party competitors into the background for the time being.
The dilemma is as old as Donald Trump’s political career: Actually, many Americans would like to turn their backs on Trump. Republicans have also said in the past few weeks and months that a fresh face, a candidate with less bias, is needed to deny Joe Biden a second term.
But as is so often the case, Trump is dominating the headlines these days.
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